When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days.
Parallel translations
- WEB So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.
- KJV Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
- BSB When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already spent four days in the tomb.
- NKJV So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
- NASB So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Arriving, Jesus finds that Lazarus has already been in the tomb four days. The delay makes the death and coming miracle unmistakable.
Overview
Four days in the tomb assured everyone that Lazarus was truly and irreversibly dead, beyond any hope of revival. This removes any possibility of explaining the miracle away. The setting magnifies the greatness of the resurrection Jesus is about to perform.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- John 11:39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
- Hos 6:2After two days he will revive us. On the third day he will raise us up, and we will live before him.
- Acts 2:27–31because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay.
- John 2:19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 11:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.